The general area of technology of the present invention is in electronic warfare, and specifically in the electro-optical counter-countermeasure used in our thermal imaging device (TID) to prevent a potential enemy black hole radiometer (BHR) from locating our TID by receiving a response from their BHR when an object colder than the expected ambient, such as the cryogenic detectors within our TID, is in the BHR field-of-view (FOV).
It is known that the BHRs may be modified from normally detecting objects hotter than ambient temperatures into producing a positive response whenever an object colder than the expected ambient temperature is in the BHR FOV. These modifications mean that potential enemy BHRs can detect our TIDs that are used in surveillance of their troop movements, troop build-ups, etc by sensing our cryogenic detectors within the TID.
The problem of our surveillance TIDs being detected and located by the enemy BHRs is solved by the present invention.